73 User Reviews of Norwegian Sun Cruise Ship

My husband fell two days before we were to leave on our Alaskan
cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary. He broke his hip. Johnny
the cruise consultant told me to call Customer Relations and talk
to them about a credit. Well after getting my husband home and
settled I called. No way would they give us a credit and the man
was rather annoyed that I would even ask.

I only asked for a credit not the whole amount but NO THAT WAS
NOT POSSIBLE.

Every other agency, airlines, hotels and car rentals gave us a
refund but not Norwegian any even give us a credit. Even though we
booked another cruise for the same time next year. I have sailed
Norwegian before but it won't happen again. Just be ware they only
want the money all $6000.00 plus.

About us. 57/62 year old semi-retired professionals. Our 36th
cruises, 12th on NCL and 4th on the Sun. This was our second cruise
to the Baltic, the first being on the NCL Dream in 2004. Not
terribly fussy, pretty laid back. We were travelling with 10
friends, some of my review may reference their critique of events
we missed.

Embarkation - Port of Dover This was our second sailing from
Dover and they have a new terminal since our 2004 sailing. The
terminal is modern and well laid out. The staff was very friendly
and efficient. From the time we entered the door to key card in
hand was about 20 minutes. Boarding began at 11:40 although rooms
were not ready. In the past a bag check area was available for
dropping your carry ons but it was not available this time. Lunch
was served in the buffet and the Seven Seas dining room opened at
12:30, which we chose and had a nice relaxing start to our cruise.
About the time we were finishing up our coffee it was announced
that rooms were ready.

The Ship The interior is done in

NCL's typical understated style and is filled with bronze colored
woods, brass and bronzy colored granite. In places the interior
seemed somewhat stark but overall it is a sleek and elegant ship no
glitz or neon. The atrium area is a bit on the small side and the
panoramic elevators are oddly shaped (kind of keyhole shaped,
narrow at the entrance, ballooning out toward the rear), which made
for difficulty in loading and offloading.There are a lot of
elevators on this ship and they seemed to run more quickly than on
most. The central staircases are of the typical spiral type, making
attractive places for photos. Several bars, the Internet cafe and
customer service areas all rim the atrium. Hallways are nearly
devoid of artwork; the artworks in the stairways were large
florals, with a different flower for each floor (if it's poppies, I
must be near the cabin!).

Dining There are two main dining rooms, appointed primarily with
two- and four-person tables. They are easily rearranged for larger
groups. The Seven Seas dining room is on the stern, so it has
windows on three sides allowing for many window tables. There were
no booths, just tables (although some tables had unusual center
legs, making it difficult to cross your legs). The Four Seasons
dining room is also on deck 5 and more central. The menu is the
same in each dining room.

The buffet was well laid out and only the beverage area was
weird. The ice dispenser was in the center rather than at the
beginning near the glassware. The omelet and waffle stations were
in a separate location - Pacific Heights which is on the opposite
side of the elevators from the buffet. Pacific Heights is a much
less crowded area for breakfast but the only serve the above items,
along with coffee, tea and o.j. If you want other items for
breakfast you can walk over to the buffet and return with them. It
is necessary to wear a shirt and shoes in the buffet. An outside
buffet area serves nearly identical fare, plus hot dogs and
hamburgers. Its seating area was on the stern - a very pleasant
spot where you could dine in your bathing suit. You do need to pass
through the indoor buffet to get there, but you didn't need to be
fully dressed if you were just passing through. There is a
complimentary ice cream bar off the pool area which was open most
of the time. The ice cream bar, Sprinkles, has soft ice cream in
vanilla and chocolate and scoop ice cream in vanilla, chocolate and
strawberry as well as a sherbet which varies each day. They only
serve cones, so if you want a dish of ice cream grab a cup from the
nearby drink station and they will put it in that.

Several specialty restaurants were available such as a tapas
bar, sushi bar, Japanese, Italian, and French restaurant and a
steak house. All but the tapas bar and Pacific Heights required an
additional fee. Pacific Heights is a lighter fare/health conscious
restaurant and no additional cost applies. The "pay" restaurants
require reservations and the cost is from $15-$30. There was no 50%
reduction for early dining on this sailing. On the two final sea
days there were specialty lunches. An Indian cuisine and a jazz
brunch. Both were $15 and well worth it.

Spa The spa, off the pool area, had a large assortment of
exercise equipment. Several exercise classes were available for a
fee. The spa is operated by the Mandara company, and thus operates
much like those on other lines. The steam room and saunas were
small but free, which is a pleasant return as they had been
charging for the steam and sauna. The showers in the spa were much
more spacious than the cabin showers and had liquid soap and
shampoo available. The showers had transparent doors which might
give bashful folks a problem. For those who find the cabin showers
too confining, go to the spa.

The spa offers the usual spa treatments along with acupuncture
and tooth whitening.

Entertainment The theater seats were high-backed, which created
a bit of a problem for short people like me who had to crane a bit
to see above the back. Seating down front was much more
comfortable. There were two levels to the theater, and several
poles created partial obstructions.

I thought the music was lacking on this cruise. There was a
pianist who played nightly in one of the lounges. In the
Observation Lounge there was a rotation of a DJ, a Latin singing
group and the Sun Orchestra for dancing at various times. The main
band played a wide variety of musical styles but most of it was
geared to a much younger crowd than us so we didn't hang around
long for them. On previous cruises there was usually a couple who
did nice mellow music for dancing or easy conversation and there
was no such couple on this cruise.

Lounges There were several lounges, and the Observation Lounge
on Deck 12 at the bow provides a beautiful, sweeping view. It is a
nice place to hide away during the day and read, as it did not seem
to be used much. It is nicely appointed with rattan furniture and a
medium size dance floor. Dazzles is more centrally located and has
a larger dance floor and many activities e.g. game shows, art
auctions were held there. A champagne bar adjoins the atrium as
does a coffee bar. The Sports Bar on Deck 12 had many TV screens
and served 22 types of beer. It is a great place to view the world
and serves complimentary chips and salsa and guacamole each
evening. It is open from 5P to 5AM for pizza and pasta.

The pool area has two pools divided by a raised area of four
Jacuzzis. The pool water is salt water. Walking decks are the
promenade, with 3-1/2 laps per mile and festive murals all the way
around; and the sports deck, which has a padded walking surface but
requires something like 12 laps to the mile. The promenade deck is
the boat deck so it is covered walking while the sports deck is
sunny.

Casino The casino is well laid out and has the usual variety of
slots, video poker and table games. There are quite a few penny and
nickel machines, a goodly number of quarter and the balance are 50
cents through $5. There are video poker machines ranging from penny
to $1. Table games are craps, blackjack, roulette, Let it Ride,
Caribbean Stud, Baccarat and Texas Hold-em. There is also a
separate poker room for Texas Holdem. Service was prompt and
courteous. The usual blackjack and slots tournaments were held
throughout the cruise and I believe there was a poker tourney too
but I'm not positive. The slots now use paper tickets so I found
that to be a welcomed change.

Cabin Ours was an interior II cabin on Deck 9. Storage was more
than ample. The desk area had one electrical outlet which was the
only one in the cabin. A refrigerator, TV, were standard. The
bathroom has a circular shower with a curtain held snugly in place
by vertical rods in the curtain. Six storage shelves were provided.
There is a real toilet paper holder (so the tissue does not fly off
the holder with use), a wall mounted hair dryer, and an outlet for
electric razors. The shower has normal single handle controls and
an adjustable-height shower head. Liquid soap and shampoo
dispensers were in the shower. The bedding is the typical NCL duvet
and quality cotton. Robes and coffee makers have been removed from
interior cabins but as we were gold members I had requested them
prior to cruising and they were there on arrival.

Our cabin was 9311, an interior due to budget limitations on
this sailing, plus the itinerary did not make it seem as though a
balcony would be money well spent. The white nights also bother my
husband a bit, so a nice dark inside cabin was perfect for those 10
PM sunsets and 5 AM sunrises. Our cabin was next to an A/C Room
which meant we had no neighbors on one side and it was very
quiet.

Entertainment We did not take in any shows other than the Celtic
flutist who was fabulous and one of the production shows, Cirque
something, which was not to our liking and we left before it was
over. We had seen a Cirque production on another ship but this one
lacked any true acrobatics and the music and costuming seemed very
thrown together. Our travelling companions went to quite a few of
the shows and found them okay, but nothing to rave about. Being
such a long cruise, many of the evenings were filled with cruiser
participation shows such as talent, dancing with the stars and an
employee talent show.

The usual game shows, bingo and poolside activities were
offered. The ship also has a mesh enclosed basketball court,
ping-pong area, and golf driving range and shuffleboard.

In the library the usual board games were available for
checkout, and bridge gatherings were held. Friends of Bill and
Friends of Dorothy had regurlarly posted meetings. A Veterans
meeting was scheduled this time which my husband always enjoys.

Food The quality was a bit better than most other ships, but
that is such a matter of personal taste that it is hard to judge.
The menus seem to have been revamped along with the new "Whatever"
advertising program. In the past I've thought menu descriptions a
bit confusing and this time they were a bit abbreviated but the
food quality had improved considerably since our trip last October
on the Star. We had dinner at the buffet one evening when we were
too pooped to read a menu. I always enjoy the chilled soups and
only one disappointed me.

Aside from the jazz brunch we did not eat in any of the
specialty restaurants that required additional costs. We enjoyed
tapas in Las Ramblas, and the menu changed each night. Pacific
Heights has the same menu each night and does require reservations
even though it is free. An Indian meal was offered for lunch on one
of the sea days for $15. One of our friends went and said it was
very good.

Wine service was handled by the waiters and went smoothly. There
was no wine program available unless you are a Latitudes member;
then you could buy five and get one free.

Thankfully, there was no nightly entertainment by dancing
waiters, and the dress code was enforced. The Sun now allows nice
jeans in the dining room but I saw a few people turned away for
shorts and no ball caps were visible either. Buffet food was the
usual fare, of good quality and available from about 6 am to
midnight. Food was also available at times in the casino. Room
service is available 24 hours and is free but you should tip the
waiter.

Cleanliness The ship was the cleanest I've ever been on. Hand
sanitizing was strictly enforced at embarkations and at all buffet
lines and restaurant entrances. They've even added one to the glass
elevators, which seemed ridiculous, especially since the kids who
"lived" in the elevators had a good time triggering the dispenser
and making a puddle on the floor.

Although this ship is due for dry dock in January, it does not
look as though it's been years since refurbishment. With very few
exceptions the ship is in excellent shape.

Staff One of the friendliest staff I've encountered. They all
seemed particularly adept at remembering names throughout the week
- a nice touch. I cannot say I encountered a single rude or
indifferent staff member.

Disembarking NCL has an express system whereby if you carry all
your luggage off yourself, you can be in the first group off the
ship. Quite a few people seemed to opt for this. We were off the
ship by 6:05 a.m. Unlike the US, there is no immigration or customs
at the pier - just walk off and you're done. Those guests with
luggage were assigned a color by their flight times. You could wait
in your cabin until your color was called, although they did ask
that you vacate your cabin by 9:00 a.m.

This and That Tips are added to your account automatically
unless you request otherwise.

Security was very good. They seem to have gotten absolutely
rabid about liquor smuggling as well as irons, so attempt it at
your own risk.

You can request an iron and ironing board from the reception
desk. You are allowed to keep it 3 hours.

Photographers: Almost invisible! The photography staff was
available for formal photos and as always at the pier, but they
were not in your face every time you turned around.

Announcements were kept to a minimum.

There was no captain's party for everyone. Just a Latitude's
party which was at 1 pm on a sea day. There was a separate
captain's party for silver, gold and platinum members. There were
only 12 people in attendance so we had a senior officer per person!
It was held in Las Ramblas and billed as wine and cheese but you
could order whatever beverage you liked.

Drinks were of good quality and volume but the prices are that
of a high end hotel/restaurant.

Passengers were a middle aged crowd with quite a few younger
folks. There were 900 children on board, according to one of the
officers, but it did not seem as though there were that many since
they were pretty well behaved. I did notice that the TechStyles
room (near the internet cafe) had a sign on it for families with
children 2 and under. There was an assortment of toys for younger
children in a nice indoor play area. It was hard to judge the
ethnic mix of the cruisers but I'd say 50% of the cruisers were
anglo. There were quite a few Spaniards and Romanians Announcements
were made in English, German, Spanish and French. During the muster
drill another language was used but I cannot remember what it
was.

It is no longer necessary to bring your life vest to the muster
drill.

Movies on the TV were available in multiple languages. Several
entertainment and cultural programs were done in Spanish as well as
English.

Money exchange is available but the rates are not good, so you
are better off even at the airport! A local ATM is actually your
bet bet. We found that Euros and US dollars worked everywhere.

As for Internet access, the ship has about 10 stations
available.. Per-minute use was 75 cents and packages were available
including wireless. Phone service is available from your cabin for
$7.95/minute.

The jewelry shop onboard is a Columbian Emeralds shop.

There is no longer creamer on the tables in the dining rooms -
it is milk. If you want cream, ask for it and they will bring you a
pile of single serving creamer. This is a pet peeve of mine since I
use a lot of cream and it looks so tacky, not to mention they were
difficult to open.

You can buy a future cruise certificate which is a good deal if
you plan to cruise in the next 4 years. You pay $250 for a
certificate which will act as your deposit for the entire cabin
(unless you are in suites or above)when you book a cruise within 4
years. As an incentive you are given an immediate $100 OBC.

Ports of Call We arranged our own tours for all but one port,
but I will provide what information I have based on others reports.
Copenhagen - we docked in Free Port, which is the further port from
downtown. It is about a 20 minute walk to the other pier. Both Hoho
lines pick up at the pier. We used City Sightseeing and found that
contrary to reports on CM, the buses do not accept credit cards,
only euros. I have forgotten how much it was, but you can find that
information on their website. We got off downtown, walked around
and did a canal tour with Nette (?) tours for $3/person. He took
US, euros, pounds - whatever you had. The tour was an hour and very
informative. A great deal in our opinion. Be sure to have a few
small denomination dollars or euros in case you need to use a
public restroom. The attendant will give you change if you have
small denominations.

To return to the ship you need to transfer to a line not shown
on the internet map - the blue line. The main lines of the Hoho's
drop you at the area near the mermaid statue (who is currently
vacationing in China) and then the blue bus takes you back to the
ship. The blue bus is not marked and does not look like the
standard hoho, which picked you up at the pier so you will need to
ask various bus drivers if they are the blue line driver. Two of
our group did a segway tour and had a blast. They highly recommend
it. You can find them on the internet.

Warnemunde. We took the train to Rostock and had a fabulous day
walking about. We lucked in to a choral presentation at the huge
church with the astronomical clock and it was indeed a treat. We
dined at the market on sausage and apple streudel and had a grand
meal on the cheap. We took the ferry back to Rostock and since
there was a huge boat festival that day we sailed amidst tall
sailing ships, pirate ships, Chinese junks, and boats of all
flavors. What a treat. Half our group did a tour to Berlin and
found the 12 hour day long but enjoyed their trip. The 3 hour each
way drive did not seem like fun to me.

Tallin. There is no need to do a tour here. The walk from the
ship to old town is about 15 minutes. The reception desk will give
you maps of town if you need them (this was true of Rostock too).
We used Rick Steve's book and walking guide, which has always
served us well. The streets here are very rocky and steep so if you
have mobility issues it could be a problem. Second to St.
Petersburg, Tallin was everyone's favorite port.

St. Petersburg. We arranged for a private tour with Anastasia Tours
and had a spectacular time. There was no comparison to our previous
visit when we used ship excursions. An articulate, educated guide,
nice quick dining, complete flexibility and topped off the first
day with a canal tour, champagne and chocolate. The tour per person
for both days total came to $5 less than one day on a ship's tour.
I cannot recommend this option highly enough to you.

The weather was very warm, the news said it was the highest
temps in 1,000 years, and since none of the buildings are air
conditioned it got pretty warm. But even on our previous trip I
would remind people about the a/c and advise you to leave your
heavier clothes on the bus. The palaces and Hermitage get very warm
with all those people in them. You are not allowed to bring back
packs or water into the palaces or museums. You can take photos but
in the Hermitage you cannot use a flash. Local merchants would take
USDs except in gift shops in the churches. Our guide had rubles she
would swap for our purchases there.

Helsinki. The only place we did a ship's tour to PourVoo
(pronounced PourVoe) It was a nice ride in the countryside to a
cute little town, with a cute little church and then to see a few
of the more popular sites in town but not worth $160. Although,
lunch was very, very nice.

Stockholm. We anchored at Nynsham and as we had been to
Stockholm before and were tired we decided to stay onboard. A
delightfully, relaxing day. They use the life boats for tenders and
it takes 10 minutes to reach shore. The drive into Stockholm is one
hour if you have an excursion. I got mixed answers on why NCL has
chosen to dock this far out and finally got the bottom line from
one of the officers who said, they really don't know. It is a
corporate office decision and they do not tell them why - just
where. Everyone I talked to enjoyed their visit to Stockholm but
felt they were terribly rushed and quite frustrated with the
experience since some of them had only 45 minutes at the Vasa and
30 minutes to shop or eat or whatever.

Next year NCL is doing this sailing out of Copenhagen rather
than Dover and maybe it will allow more time in Stockholm.

London. We arrived three days early to tour London. One of our
group is a Brit and gave us the insiders tour. Fortunately we were
there on a Sunday which allowed us to go to the Chelsey Street
Flower Market, which was absolutely fabulous. Then off to Curry
Lane (I think it was called) - block after block of Indian food
vendors and restaurants. We had a grand Indian meal. We got to take
in choral evensong at Westminster, which was breath taking. On the
way to Dover, our private bus stopped at Canterbury Cathedral so we
could go to 8 am mass and tour the church. Spectacular.

We had arranged for First Choice Minibus to pick us up at LHR,
take us to the Holiday Inn Express Victoria. On Tuesday he
transferred us to the port via Canterbury then fetched us at
disembarking at whisked us off to LHR. Very curteous and much
cheaper than the NCL transfers. Not the cheapest way to travel, by
far, but with a group it made it quite affordable. With 12 people
all transportation came to $94/per person.

Once through passport control, diesel buses carried passengers
to the ship, weaving under cranes and through stacks of cargo
containers. Reaching the gangway at last, we entered the ship on
Deck 5 and faced a very long line in the Four Seasons dining room,
where room cards were being issued. As suite guests, my spouse and
I were pulled from this queue and separately checked in by staff in
the lobby area of the Il Adagio restaurant. After taking photos, we
were led to an adjoining room for a one-on-one talk with ship
concierge Karin, who asked if there was anything she could arrange
for us as we settled in. The one request I had – to reserve a spot
in the thermal suite in the spa – was for naught…despite web
postings to the contrary, there is no thermal suite on board. As
Karin explained, "This is an older ship, and it does not have the
amenities you might expect on newer, larger ships." Indeed.

Ship: The Norwegian Sun, built in 2001, is a smaller vessel that
feels somewhat dated and out-of-touch even though it is relatively
new (perhaps this explains

a planned dry-dock scheduled for fall 2010.) Public areas are small
and a bit on the claustrophobic side, and the awkward deck layout,
which is configured around a giant central kitchen area on deck 5,
prevents easy walking from venues located at opposite ends of the
ship. The atrium features four "Panoramic Elevators" that, after
leaving decks 5, 6 and 7, travel the remainder of their journey
inside a white tube – hardly "panoramic" at all. There are many
rust spots all over the exterior decks of the vessel that are in
need of painting, and plastic flowers and Papier Mache rocks abound
– no fresh flowers were to be seen. The daily newsletter is
laughable – frequent misspellings, incorrect information, and page
after page devoted to getting you to spend money on jewels,
artwork, massages and excursions. I know these elements are part of
the cruise line revenue stream, but honestly, NCL goes above and
beyond any acceptable levels of advertising when 6 front-and-back
insert pages are spent trying to pry your money from your pocket.
Separately, the passenger composition on this South American
itinerary was largely comprised of travelers from France, Germany
and Latin America, and as a result, I observed willful disregard
for the rule against smoking in individual cabins and public areas
despite admonishments from the crew. Indeed, when walking down the
halls of decks 9 and 10, the cigarette smoke coming from cabins was
so thick that it would make me cough out loud. I saw several cases
of plumbing problems – for example, on embarkation day inside
cabins 0129 and 0329 were flooded so badly with sewage that carpets
were pulled up, odorizer was sprinkled on floors and giant fans
were in place for at least 2 straight days.

Serious customer service issues exist on this ship. Bartenders
and bar staff are competent and friendly (especially Marvin in the
Observation Lounge), but much of the food service team seems to be
preoccupied with socializing with each other – when interrupted
from this pastime they are often surly and occasionally downright
rude. When we got up to take a look at a breakfast fruit buffet in
the Four Seasons main dining room, one server admonished us to sit
down immediately and barked, "Let us do our job and you do yours!"
During the mandatory lifeboat muster, our station leader - an
onboard entertainer named Alan - practiced his dance steps while
the drill took place. At the same time his station partner informed
us, "Remember you are at Muster Station R. You know what Station R
stands for? R is for rich. Like you." (Presumably because this
station is a meeting point for suite guests.)

On a positive note about the crew, Concierge Karin is a very
hard worker who aims to please. I've read complaints online that
"she is never at her desk," but in reality this is because she is
constantly in motion, running all over the ship to take care of
guests. She is extremely accommodating and courteous, and the
majority of this crew would do well to model their behavior after
hers.

Cabin: We were booked in Cabin 0265, a Penthouse Suite located
aft on the Norway Deck. This cabin is spacious (the photos of the
living room area on the NCL website really do not do the size of it
justice) and generally well maintained. The bathroom is large, with
a separate glassed-in toilet closet (like many cruise ship WCs,
this one has a slight smell of sewage), a double-door-enclosed
shower, and a Jacuzzi tub that is large enough for a 6-foot tall
adult to lie down in. The bathroom has only one sink, however, so
washing up and shaving are a one-person-at-a-time affair. Lighting
is good in the bathroom, but one minor annoyance: you cannot turn
on just one light, say only over the sink - you must turn on all 12
recessed spotlights or none at all (kind of disruptive if you have
to get up in the middle of the night). In addition, it sometimes
took as long as 15 minutes to get hot water in the bathroom, so if
you are in a hurry, plan on a cold shower.

Closet space in this cabin is not as generous as one would
expect, especially for a 2-week itinerary. There are lots of
drawers, though, and a separate make-up table area in the
pass-through closet space between the bathroom and bedroom. The
bedroom is nicely-sized, with a very soft marshmallow mattress and
a separate set of glass doors that open onto the best thing about
this cabin - the generous wrap-around aft balcony, which features
room enough for two chaise lounges as well as a table and three
regular-size chairs. Watching the world go by on calm sea days
makes the investment in this suite worthwhile.

Negatives about Suite 0265: no coffee maker or kettle (let alone
the cappuccino machine advertised in most NCL literature describing
Penthouse Suite amenities), no in-room Wi-Fi, no extra blankets or
pillows without making a special request, and large tube-style
Panasonic televisions that are well past their prime, to the point
of being nearly unwatchable. A Sony DVD player with surround-sound
is outfitted in the living room, but I can't imagine blasting the
speakers while watching a movie from the onboard library. A
connecting door to the smaller balcony room next door would make
this an ideal suite for sharing with kids or another couple, but in
our case our neighbor used it for eavesdropping (as he made clear
while we were out on the balcony, when he leaned over the dividing
barrier and asked about things that had been discussed in private).
Beware: noise (and the odd piece of toast flying off a plate) is
also sometimes an issue from the Great Outdoors Café located on the
deck above - diners frequently drag their chairs (and tables) as
they jockey for position alongside the rails. One saving grace
during our cruise was that the cafe space above this cabin is
unusable in cold or inclement weather, so the noise factor wasn't
as bad as it could have been.

The Penthouse Suite comes with Butler Service - ours was a
rather shy man named Orlando. In addition to bringing ice (and
unpacking your clothes if you ask), the butler brings complimentary
canapés in the late afternoon and also delivers room service orders
(room service in this suite is a complicated affair in which you
call the room service number, they hang up, locate your butler, and
he calls you back to take the order and subsequently deliver it). I
had but one request of Orlando - to supply a bottle of whiskey for
evening drinks. I told him I understood that I would have to pay
extra for the alcohol, but he gave me a funny look and informed me
that I would have to pay for each shot in the bottle individually!
When I asked how that could be possible, given that guests can
purchase a dozen bottles of wine from NCL without a "per-sip"
surcharge. He just shrugged his shoulders and later I received an
explanation from the Concierge: It is supposedly a
(newly-introduced) fleet wide NCL policy that guests cannot
purchase a bottle of liquor onboard, even if they are willing to
pay an exorbitant amount for it - apparently because some guests
cannot be trusted not to drink it all at once (how this gets around
being able to drink a whole bottle of wine at once is beyond me).
In any event, it is nonsensical that a suite guest cannot request a
bar setup with a single bottle of liquor for the duration of a
two-week cruise.

Our Cabin Steward Fidel was perhaps the best we have ever had on
any cruise – he visited several times a day and our suite was kept
immaculate at all times.

Food: Overall, the food served on the NCL Sun is consistently
mediocre – poorly prepared, sloppily presented and more often than
not, reheated from a frozen state. Interestingly, during a casual
conversation with the Food & Beverage manager, he revealed that
(despite an itinerary with close proximity to some of the best meat
and seafood on the planet) none of the protein served on the Sun is
fresh. That's right - all steaks, poultry and seafood items are
shipped frozen to the ship from Miami because of potential labor
strikes from dockworkers and other food providers in South American
ports. It's unsurprising then that the resulting meals are less
than spectacular. One thing to remember when dining on this ship –
the service staff has been indoctrinated with a set order in which
to deliver food, and any deviations or special requests (like a
pre-dinner cocktail or an extra piece of bread with your meal)
cause confusion and turmoil. Service staff is also not very
competent, often mixing up orders and dropping food and utensils -
the crashing of plates, silverware and glassware onto the floor is
a constant in nearly every dining venue on the Sun. The "Freestyle"
concept really is kind of a joke – if you don't plan ahead, you
really cannot eat "whenever, wherever" – walk-up to the desk of a
specialty restaurant without a reservation and you will get a blank
stare and a "No!" Here then, is a rundown of each of the
restaurants onboard:

Concierge Lounge: Our first dining experience on the Sun was
lunch in the Concierge Lounge, set up in the Il Adagio specialty
restaurant. Warning signs that a bad meal was forthcoming appeared
right away: our waiter was shuffling his feet and singing to
himself, even while taking our order, and the tablecloth was
stained with food from a breakfast that had been served earlier
that morning. I asked for a Diet Coke and 20 minutes later received
a Beck's Beer in a bottle. I asked again for a Diet Coke, and this
time received a Pepsi in a can. After my third request for a Diet
Coke, our server informed me that they only have Pepsi on NCL
(first time anyone ever told me), so I said "Okay, let me have a
Diet Pepsi then." 42 minutes and $2.24 later, I received the one
and only soda that I had onboard. My lunch consisted of a Caesar
Salad that would be best described as a few leaves of Romaine
lettuce floating in two cups of salad dressing, followed by cold
and inedible hamburger "sliders" and French fries that were still
partially frozen. I skipped it.

Breakfast is offered in this venue as an amenity for suite
guests, and the service was admittedly better than this first meal,
but you have to know how to order. If you want a regular amount of
cheese on your omelet, specify "extra cheese," otherwise the omelet
arrives dry. If you want your English muffin toasted, you must
specifically ask for it to be done.

Teppanyaki: During the check-in process, Concierge Karin
encouraged us to make a reservation for the Teppanyaki specialty
restaurant, because "once everyone on the ship hears about how good
it is, you won't be able to get a reservation." We took her advice
and made a booking for our first night on ship. After our party of
four was seated at the 12-person grill, we placed an order for
cocktails. A couple of the requests (a gin martini, a blended
margarita) seemed to vex the waiter - a hunch that was proven true
when the drinks did not appear until 52 minutes later. After being
served soybeans, soup and a salad, our two teppanyaki chefs
appeared - making nervous jokes and fumbling a bit as they started
juggling knives and spatulas over the steaming hot grill. I had
just remarked to my brother-in-law that "This can only end
badly..." when one of the chefs lost his grip on a twirling spatula
and it sailed across the grill and hit my spouse square in the
chest, covering him in food and sauce. After he excused himself
from the table amid gasps from our fellow diners, the chefs
proceeded to juggle raw eggs, which they also dropped with splats
onto the floor. Everyone at the grill grew visibly agitated at
becoming the next victim, and I said, "Maybe we should stop the
juggling and proceed with the cooking." No one laughed. Neither did
I when my spouse returned and the maître d' failed to compensate
him for the $25 meal surcharge - instead she offered a
complimentary t-shirt cleaning (even though he was wearing a dress
shirt and dress slacks). The evening was ruined, as you can
imagine, but admittedly the food was fairly tasty (if diners can
manage to avoid wearing it).

Four Seasons: Our group of four encountered mediocre food and
very surly service in this main dining room (in fact we had a
running debate over whether the service is worse in the Four
Seasons or the Seven Seas - food is from the same kitchen, and only
the serving staff distinguishes the two main dining room venues).
Bland dishes like chicken breast with instant mashed potatoes and
frozen vegetables abound. On the accident front, I had a shrimp
cocktail spilled all over the table in front of me one evening by a
sloppy server.

Il Adagio: Dinner is reasonably good at this venue, which
specializes in Italian dishes. Order the simple things, like an
artichoke pizza, which is crisp and delicious. Service is sloppy,
however: it took more than 15 minutes for a server to appear on one
busy evening, and an additional 30 minutes to get glasses of water
to the table. The reason, according to our server: "We have to go
and find more water."

Le Bistro: Food and service were a bit above average in this
venue. The cassoulet was decently prepared, with slightly
overcooked but flavorful duck. The chocolate fondue was cold, runny
and inedible, and although the menu advertises Crepes Suzette
"prepared tableside," they are not, obviously for safety reasons
(but then why offer it in writing?). If you order selections from
the "International Cheese Trolley" for dessert, you'll receive a
few slices of American, Swiss and Bleu served along with a
plastic-covered packet of saltine crackers. Beware the extra
charges for certain menu items that are in addition to the
restaurant's $20 cover charge.

East Meets West Steakhouse: Food quality is slightly above
average here, with fairly attentive service (although we were
turned away in our first attempt to "dine whenever" at 7:30 pm
despite the fact that only two of the more than 35 tables were
occupied). Jumbo shrimp cocktails with a spicy sauce are a
pleasure, and the wedge salad is a classic that was enjoyable. Not
so great: gummy lobster bisque and defrosted steaks that were tough
and overcooked despite a request for "medium rare." On another
evening, to avoid the frozen steak, I ordered rotisserie chicken,
which was dry and tough. Again, beware of the extra charges beyond
the $25 cover – it's $10 more if you want that frozen lobster tail
with your frozen filet mignon.

Sushi Bar: If you like sushi this is actually one of the better
dining venues aboard the Sun. Although the fish isn't fresh, the
hand rolls are well prepared and suitably spicy. Service staff are
attentive and pleasant, a rarity on this ship.

Pacific Heights: Perhaps the worst of the specialty restaurants.
After a conversation with the Food & Beverage Manager, I was
under the assumption that this venue had been closed – but what he
really meant to tell me was that its partnership with the food
magazine ‘Cooking Light" has been terminated. And with good reason:
the Tomato Soup is like a can of Campbell's with a spoonful of
Cayenne Pepper thrown in, and the Mushroom Quesadilla, seemingly
filled with instant guacamole and slimy canned mushrooms, is
perhaps the vilest thing I have ever attempted to eat. After
ordering drinks, our server told us that the 40-minute delay in
their delivery was because "The bartender is in the bathroom." When
he finally returned to our table 20 minutes later with appetizers,
the waiter looked at us and scornfully said, "You switched places
on me!" We had not.

Buffet: Typical mediocre cruise-line buffet fare - nothing is
great, nothing is horrid. Some tips: you don't have to form a
single queue – go to the station that you want (there will be howls
of protest, but the reality is, this was set up for diners to
pick-and-choose from salads, entrees and desserts rather than
follow one singular line). During peak lunch times, head out to the
rear Great Outdoors area, which has a separate buffet queue
featuring salads, burgers, and desserts. As part of the buffet
breakfast in the Garden Cafe, waffles are cooked to order in the
Pacific Heights venue, and there is virtually no waiting – probably
because it is not advertised and you have to exit out of the
buffet, head towards the Sports Bar and make a right to get there.
You can also find freshly baked pizza (that is quite good) at
Pacific Heights during the lunchtime buffet service.

Entertainment: Live shows: The "Gaucho de la Plata" performance
was awkward and uncomfortable - the male "Gaucho" performer became
winded after his first bolo dance, then proceeded to make several
homophobic jokes in a row. Separately, the "Jean Ann Ryan Dancers"
are actually fairly talented...unfortunately the material they are
tasked with performing (especially choreography during the
Broadway-themed "Encore!" show) is clunky and uninspired. Their
"Cirque du Pan" show, a faux "Cirque du Soliel" retelling of "Peter
Pan" is the best performance of the lot – fun costumes, cute sets
and some impressive gymnastics and aerial acrobatics.

Bingo: The offering of every big cash prize came with an
asterix: "$5000 Jackpot! *If you cover your card in 46 numbers or
less." Isn't this a very low statistical possibility? Not even one
guaranteed cash Bingo jackpot during a two-week cruise?

Casino: Slot machines are like vacuum cleaners - 20 dollars on a
25-cent machine disappears in a flash. Tables were often empty,
with dealers staring blankly and singing to themselves. The casino
is closed while in Chilean waters (a significant portion of this
itinerary), and it seemed to be primarily used as a indoor smoking
lounge during inclement weather - the smoke is extremely heavy,
with little or no ventilation.

Shop: Despite a sign that excitedly proclaims "We have
everything you need! Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Toothbrushes!" - the
first two on that list were not stocked during the entire 14-day
cruise. When asked, a shop assistant shrugged and said, "We don't
carry toothpaste." Separately, several days before the end of the
cruise, the store manager encouraged me to take advantage of the
"Buy 2, Get 1 Free" port-themed t-shirt offer, because "They will
not be available for remainder of the cruise." The shirts were
observed on offer long after - in fact, all the way to the shop
closing on the final night.

Spa: I am an avid spa-goer, but having experienced the customer
service levels throughout the rest of the ship, I opted not to
partake of any spa treatments offered by the Mandara Spa. I do have
one anecdote regarding the staff, however. My spouse approached the
spa reception desk and inquired about getting a moustache trim in
the salon (a service advertised on the salon menu). The
receptionist told him "No, we don't do that." He walked away in
frustration. A few moments later, I approached the desk and asked
if it were possible to get my moustache trimmed. "Sure," the
receptionist said, "when would you like to schedule an
appointment?"

Enrichment Lectures: Presented by Assistant Cruise Director
"Szolt the Bolt," these featured sixth-grade level Power Point
presentations on such topics and the indigenous peoples and the
geology/geography of South America. He was unprepared to give the
scheduled talk on whales and wildlife, so he showed a video about
Alaskan whales instead.

Excursions: Here are details on excursions offered by NCL:

The Lagoon Bluff: Based on rave reviews, our party of four
reserved this Falkland Island penguin rookery excursion via the NCL
website more than six months in advance. Once aboard, we discovered
that the Excursion Desk staff had switched two of us to a tour time
that departed more than 30 minutes later. When I politely asked for
the new time to be switched back so we could travel together, the
manager of the Excursion Desk told me, "You can either take the
tour separately, or give me the tickets back…we have plenty of
people who want to take this tour." I told him that this was
unacceptable and to make it right. He eventually did, but every
time I saw him in the hallway, he averted his eyes and would not
speak to me.

Torres del Paine: A very long day that begins in Punta Arenas
and includes a bus ride to the airport, a flight in a rickety
Cessna plane (the windshield de-icers did not work and the pilot
flew blind for more than 15 minutes of the 40-minute trip), a
three-hour bus ride around the national park, a great Chilean lunch
overlooking a stunning vista at a lake, and a repeat flight on said
rickety Cessna. Embarrassingly expensive at just over $1000 per
person – NCL should be ashamed at the premium charged for this
tour, which ought to cost $500 tops. All that being said, the
beauty of Torres del Paine cannot be overstated. Torres is a
must-see destination that would be one of the high points of any
visit to Chile.

Lake Esmeralda and Petrohue Falls: A scenic excursion as
advertised, but expect to share your catamaran ride on Lake
Esmeralda with 400 other guests, and just try to get a solitary
moment (let alone walk on the trail) at the falls as 7 to 8 buses
release their passengers simultaneously. Lunch, served at an
estancia, was very good, and featured as an entree some of the best
salmon I have ever tasted.

In Buenos Aires, Peninsula Valdes, Ushuaia and Valparaiso /
Santiago we used private tour guides that were friendly,
informative and significantly cheaper than NCL excursions. If you
are interested in contact information, please send me a private
message and I will be happy to share details.

Bottom Line: Our 14-day cruise around South America on the
Norwegian Sun was a memorable one – the vibrancy of Buenos Aires
and Santiago are thrilling, and the natural beauty of Patagonia is
incomparable. Despite obtaining a significantly discounted rate by
booking via the NCL website more than a year in advance, the
nickel-and-diming that we experienced on the Norwegian Sun made
this the most expensive cruise we have ever taken (yes, surpassing
even a trip on the luxury line Crystal Cruises). And unfortunately,
our memories of the ship are plagued by visions of incompetency and
ineptitude that would be laughable if they hadn't cost us a
considerable amount of money to experience.

"Do you have any money left? No? Ha ha!" - Cruise Director Pedro
Cera, emceeing the final show of our cruise in the Stardust
Theater.

Norwegian Cruise Lines Sun, January cruse 2011 to the Caribbean
a filthy, cockroach infested, fake food, stains on the sheets, no
heat, rude cruise, cruise. Want the time of your life then don't
step foot on the NCL Sun.

When we arrived on deck 5 to our full window berth I could not
believe they expected us to sleep between the stains on the white
bed spread and mystery stains on the sheets and pillow cases. After
informing the guest services of this several people appeared and we
got clean bedding the next morning.

We complained 3 times as did others on our deck, that there was
no heat on our floor. I received several written responses that
everything was 'Normal'. We received a frayed and torn twin bed
blanked for the two of us who would sleep in our clothing all but
the last night. After turning a deaf ear to our heat problem on the
5th morning my wife smelt a burning smell in the bathroom
enclosure. Wondering if I should call 911 for the suspected
electrical fire I called guest services who sent some on in a grey
jacket

that examined the bath room and said yes there was something
burning in the wall. He placed a call from our room phone and
disappeared. I waited what seemed like forever with the door open
others passing buy the room commenting they also smelt something
burning.

Finally as a lay person thinking it might be a big deal, I
returned to guest services where the person at the desk told me yes
we have your new complaint that there is no heat in your cabin. So,
other could hear me I told them the guy who left thought something
in the wall was burning, that turned a few heads and a technician
arrived who also agreed it smelt like an electrical problem in the
wall. First he removed the wall filter by hand to show a filthy
filter with what looked to be cotton on both sides. The walls of
the heater were covered in lint and dust and apparently according
to him it had caused the fan to stop spinning thus the burring
smell from a very hot fan motor. I have included the photos for is
tearing the wall out and the filter. I purchased allergy pills (for
the snorkeling day to stay dry) on this ship the dust caused a
reaction not only with me, but later in an elevator discussing the
trip another passenger told me his allergies were real bad also. I
told him to pull out his filter and if it was as filthy as mine to
demand they change it.

On the second day of the voyager my wife and I went up to the
pool deck to get some sun. When she took off her shoe a cockroach
wandered out. I captured it in a napkin and returned to guest
services with it and quietly explained what had occurred. They sent
the 'pest team' who went over the cabin with a small flash light
and left. Later that evening after falling asleep the phone rang (
we had arrived on the red eye New Year's evening to Florida from
California and with the time changes and flight were tired) guest
services wanted to let us know the bug team had determined "that
the cockroach was not theirs" . I got up and since I went to bed in
my clothing checked my shoes and went to the desk no one knew who
placed that call.

The next morning a knock at the door was Christopher in a white
uniform who pleasantly enough explained what she had meant was that
the bug crew had not found any more cockroaches in the cabin. Funny
that night no one knew who called and after time to fix it they had
an answer. I was to get another of the many "sorry" as the solution
for the problem. He then asked if there was anything else he could
do for us. I told him you are big on hand sanitizer but on arrival
I had noticed a sticky looking substance on the glass elevator
dripping from the roof so could you tell someone to clean it off?
As I was to learn they are very good at pretending to listen or
care but in one ear and out the other. On the next to the last day
I took the hotel manager to the elevator and pointed out what had
been there for at least 6 days.

So, filthy air to breath and cockroaches in your personal
possession's a great start to a trip of a life time you have PAID
FOR WELL IN ADVANCE.

What about what goes inside of you their food? Let's start with
the oblivious I also have photos of the long black hair in our
morning fruit bowl from room service. How long does it take to pull
them out of if they were looking? My wife is blond and I have short
brown hair the room guys had short black hair it was quite long and
obvious on the green melon chunks. But what goes to the intent of
their business model of NCL is that they label the juice dispenser
"orange juice" but what they pour into the fountain clearly states
orange drink cocktail on the containers. When questioned the
dinning staff stated (as Royal Caribbean juices them in front of
you) is you can get orange juice for additional cost. Why not say
what it is orange drink. Please if your poring fake orange juice
call it what it is so we can choose. As it sits at the table it
separates into water on top and the food coloring to the bottom.
Something seemed wrong with the coffee they brew and again things
are not what it seems as the large stainless steel coffee makers
are giant instant coffee dispensers. Again we found out that for an
additional charge you could have normal coffee where water passes
over the grinds.

The buffet always seemed like someone should take a rag and
clean it up (photos). Having the buffets in the back of the ship
closed caused a jam up at meal times. The first meal I tried on
arrival was a mock hamburger. I called it mock as I work for a
school and see trays of pre marked hamburgers steamed for the kids,
guess what NCL served them the same way trays from the oven sitting
in water. As I was adding the condiments the curtain actually hit
my hand and I was told by a young man that I would need to go get
into another line as he was closing this station. A man in the
chief hat watch this so I walked over and explained I was on
vacation and did not take orders from the help. I left the plate
and went to the fan tail where I was approached by a guy in a white
uniform who asked if he could do anything I said "yes, get away
from me". We went exploring around noon on another day and found
the included Spanish dining area on the Sun. Here are olives, some
cheese and a few lunch meats including Baloney and salami with no
pepper corns, who goes on a once in a life time Caribbean cruise
hoping for a baloney sandwich on white bread.

Dinners were lacking in the prepaid venues and the staff was
once again rude. We tried to make reservations for two and were
told just come on down "two is no problem". So, that evening after
determining many in front of us were in large parties I approached
the desk and told her two. She told me "go get back in line". We
went out the dining hall and around to the bar where I watch other
pairs loiter by the entrance where it would become clear later she
was calling out "2" from time to time from her podium. Not knowing
if the couples were joining others I needed to wait to be seated to
see them finishing before we got our water. Guess the solution NCL
staff offered after walking away from the table to tell the head
waiter of this, "sorry".

The meals themselfs were time and again a disgrace. On the last
night I received the roast beef lunch meat I had avoided with gravy
along with one table spoon of canned peas with two baby carrots as
the roast beef dinner. If you read roasted potatoes would you
expect more than four slices from a single potato? Yes, you can
request all the plates or dinners you want. The shrimp cocktail had
a very strong taste as if they were old. One night I received 3
thin slices of a steak only Jesus could feed more on a steak than
NCL. A note on this cruise the head chief was Indian and it had an
influence on the spicing of every thing from fried potatoes, rice
with chunks of fish blended in, to the cold cherry soup that was
quite good.

Let's go explore the islands with NCL partners, the excursions
desk set me up with a power snorkel adventure, where a machine
would pull you through the ocean included was an open bar with
snacks it was listed as 4 ½ hours on the card provided by NCL
staff. The photo of the machines at NCL's website look like
machines from James Bond in fact the fans were 10 inches thick with
the battery in the handle. Once away I asked for a beer where I was
told no beer, wine or spirits but on the way back we could have
some rum punch. Off we went to "Turtle Island" for the day among
the turtles of course. As we approached an Island the skipper told
us how much more fun it would be to dive at a ship wreck. We parked
between 10 to 12 other boats with 40 to 60 people each and several
scuba diver ships and were informed it was better here than where
we had paid to go ( it was also closer to the ship). You could have
booked the ship wreck tour for ½ of what we paid for Turtle Island
snorkel adventure. When I asked for a snack I was told to have a
warm coke as no ice was on board the Jolly Mon. After a written
complaints about the power snorkels not having been charged as they
quit 10 minutes into the adventure ( I swam back holding one in
each arm as my wife is a novice swimmer) no beer or open bar, no
snacks, and the crew who must have thought we did not want the last
hour on the catamaran and returned 60 minutes early, NCL refunded
50% to those who had signed on to the original letter. I was to
find out later the others who had also had dead power snorkels paid
the full price to NCL even though they knew the facts about the
group's problems.

After the electrical fire I went to the guest services desk
where I informed them I had had enough and wanted to speak with
someone with "stars or bars" on their shoulders. We met with the
hotel manager who I was to believe genuinely was as shocked as we
were (or had he done this a thousand times before).The air
conditioning person told us this ship has to heat water and send it
through the heating pipes but was not fired up, oil cost money that
we had given them our money a long time ago. The Sun's hotel
manager asked for some time to review the matter and we found $300
ships credit for a ruined trip on the last full day. That took care
of the mandatory tipping and the $19.95 photos and a souvenir from
the gift shop. Not a refund to our charge card mind you but a
credit for ship board retail.

Waiting to meet with him we were able to hear a constant stream
of cruisers wondering about this charge or that. A few of the
favorite were the man who liking his bartender had given him a tip
to only find out that all transactions at the bar had a 15%
gratuity charged to them, so a tip on the tip he had given. Another
woman wondered about the two 6 dollar charges on her bill. She was
informed she had grabbed two small waters on the way to an island,
the kind that are 6 for a $1 in a store. NCL has a strict policy of
no water or soda being brought on board the charge for a soda card
was $60 per person. At the pier locals sell cold water for a dollar
a bottle; I wonder if NCL knew this.

In conclusion, if you are still reading the Carnival Dream which
we shadowed the trip had 24 hour free Sushi bar with more than
California rolls, Pizza and pasta bars, BBQ on the decks and more
included in the meals, which the people on St Thomas informed us
were very good as we talked at a pulled pork stand eating our first
good meal in days. Just to think, at Trip Advisor we had read of a
sewage smell from a poster on the Dream and changes to NCL from
that fact alone. Yes, they said it was true from time to time there
was that smell. On the Sun we went to the 4th floor by accident
after a show and it smelled bad, asking someone in the hall about
the smell they said it was that way each day. The man also told me
there was a banging sound in his wall. Seems the crew had put the
gang plank away wrong and something big and metal was striking his
cabin wall with each wave. Guest services had told him nothing
could be done until we unloaded in 2 more days.

All goes to the business model for NCL, where you certainly do
not get what you paid for from fake juice and stained sheets in a
room with roaches, to shore excursion that are not what was
represented in writing. I have included photos of much of what I
have written. Do yourself a favor and explore your options in
cruising, sometimes you get far less than what you are paying for
and they pocket your money as profits.

When you intentional don't get what you paid for and speak to
the 2nd in command all that is left is to warn others in words with
large format photos. So, don't do it, there are other cruise lines
that you can sail on, our trip was ruined day after day by NCL's,
sanitation, food and several rude people. Finally there is always
something good to say about anything and talking to others
regarding our interactions with the Sun and staff we were able to
make some new friends who also were discussed by the treatment to
passengers. In the 7 days 3 sets of passengers would travel on her
again the overwhelming majority were sick they had book on the NCL
Sun and would not do it again.

This was the 3rd time that we sailed on this ship; the last time
was to the Panama Canal in 2005. This was about the 4th time that
we've been to the Mexican Riviera. Overall, it was a good cruise
and we had a nice time.

However, with the advent of Freestyle cruising, this cruise was
significantly more casual than any we have been on. Hubby took a
suit for "formal night" but did not wear it because he felt that he
would be seriously overdressed. I didn't wear the cocktail dress
that I brought.

We previously liked Freestyle because it meant that we could
share a dinner table with different people every night. That only
happened once in 11 nights because so many passengers skipped the
dining room in favor of the Garden Cafe (buffet). The dining room
was never more than half full.

The ship was spotless and the staff were attentive to all of our
requests. The entertainment as usual was good.

My husband and I booked this cruise for our 30th wedding
anniversay. When we got to our room I checked the mini bar, it was
missing half of the contents although it had been checked off as
complete. We reported this and halfway through the cruise it was
topped up. We checked our statement when we left the ship and
everything was OK. One week after leaving the ship a $77 dollar
amount was taken from my credit card. No paperwork was every sent
to justify this amount being deducted. When we contacted NCL we
were told that this was for the mini bar - we took nothing from
this bar as it was horrendously expensive. Two months later we have
now received a refund (slightly less because of the difference in
exchange rate)

Norwegian Cruise Line's reputation is that it's on the "budget"
end of the scale of the large ship, major cruise operators. I saw
nothing on this cruise to challenge this. I do not mean this as a
criticism, but a statement of fact. The "budget" reputation is most
evident in the dining experience. If we had went on this cruise
expecting the quality or variety of food we found on Princess or
Royal Caribbean, we would have been disappointed. Just as I would
not call the front desk at a Motel-6 looking for a concierge to
make theater reservations, I did not expect a complete first class
experience. We had a small suite in the aft end of the ship. While
we did enjoy the bathtub and extra room, the additional movement
associated with either end of a ship and several days of rough seas
more than offset the suite experience.

We have been to Cozumel twice now. I cannot recommend the
"Cozumel Highlights & Shopping" tour. The "Highlights" were two
trinket and kitsch markets and a tequila making display with a very
small Blue Agave garden -- Blue Agave being

the plant from which tequila is made. The true highlight of Cozumel
was, courtesy of the weather, the tender ride to and from the ship.
Still, as far as I know, Cozumel is still the only place in Mexico
where one can drink the water.

Belize was very good. We had a very good and entertaining guide
for an ATV drive in the rain forest with a spelunking stop.

Roatan was interesting. I never cease to be amazed by the
diverse history of some of the small, out-of-the-way places we have
visited. I had heard that Roatan was home to many ex-pats. If so, I
didn't see them.

The ship passed on the last stop on the stated itinerary --
Great Stirrup Cay -- because of the weather and went to Nassau
instead. Like most of the passengers I talked to, we considered
this a bonus. We took a guided tour of the Atlantis resort's
Aquarium. Worth the trip.

Apparently, there are many more trained singers and dancers in
the world than there are job openings. I am always amazed at the
talent of the singers and dancers on cruise ships. As I said up
front, NCL is a budget cruise line. Don't look for ice rinks with
an ice-skating show, rock climbing walls, acts you have seen on TV,
and such. Still, they do a very good job.

The casino was small, but well run with a friendly staff. They
had several Slot, Texas Hold'em, and Blackjack tournaments. They
also had one $25 and one $10 Blackjack game dealt from a shoe.

Our only real specific complaint was that our cabin steward
seemed a bit lazy. The room was not well cleaned when we arrived
and on three of our seven days it was also not properly cleaned. I
should add that on our first cruise, which was on a Princess ship a
few years back, we had the cabin steward that set the standard by
which we have judged all subsequent cabin stewards. A few have come
close, but "Ping Pong" was in a class by himself.

Our general complaint is not limited to NCL, but all cruises we
have been on. They continue to find more things to charge the
passenger for. Not only more things to charge us for, but even
higher prices. They are way past nickel and dime. I remember buying
the unlimited soft drink package on the Island Princess in 2004 for
$2.25 a day. By giving us a free to refill Coke tumbler and a free
refill sticker for my key card, both my wife and I had unlimited
refills. On the Norwegian Sun this cruise the soft drink package
was $6.50 a day. There was also a free ice-cream bar on our 2004
cruise ship. Free ice-cream was gone on our last cruise on
Princess. On the plus side, the Norwegian Sun still has a free
ice-cream bar. (I remember the 2004 cruise on the Island Princess
because it was our 30th anniversary and not only did I remember our
anniversary, I took my wife on a surprise cruise. I'm still
spending the points I earned on that anniversary. I do believe,
however, that my points will be used up soon and I will have to
reload with some special surprises for our 35th next year.)

We went to the specialty restaurant one night. There was a $30
surcharge for the lobster. While the lobster was huge, the service
was about the same as in the regular dining facilities where no
surcharges are required. Drinks are priced about the same as most
mid-scale clubs and restaurants, or about twice what they were
three to five years ago. Anybody else remember $1.99 Margaritas at
a sail away party? And I'm not talking about a cruise I took in
1970. The $1.99 Margaritas were on a cruise this century!

I do believe that most cruise ship operators are trying to pay
for the ship via the photography department. I recommend taking
your own pictures and going to Kodak.com or Snapfish.com and
getting prints for about one tenth the cost.

All in all NCL does a good job in their niche -- as a budget
cruise line. We enjoyed the vacation. I would caution you that if
you book one of the aft suites, be sure and check the expected sea
conditions first. Also, you will not need an alarm on port days.
When those side thrusters are turned on, it's about a 78 point bull
ride, only closer to eight minutes than eight seconds!

We were on the "Sun" for 10 day cruise and couldn't go out and
enjoy our mini suite balcony because of chain smokers on either
side of us. Whenever we opened our balcony door our room filled
with second hand smoke. My wife suffers with ASMA and the smoke was
very hard on her, also my nose ran a lot along with the sneezing.
We first noticed a smoke smell the first day in the hall leading to
our room ( 1211 ). Quite a surprise!

If you don't smoke don't book a balcony cabin with this cruise
line as you will regret spending the money for a balcony that you
can't sit on and enjoy the fresh air and the sea.

We will be spending our cruising dollars with ships that have a
no smoking policy on their balconies.

The Norwegian Sun turned out to be a wonderful boat to spend a week
on. The itinerary was great, interesting ports of call and not too
much time at sea. Great weather ( high 70's to low 80's and no rain
the entire week).

If you're looking for a nice vacation, in a relaxing
environment, but with also things to do and see, would suggest this
specific ship and itinerary for that experience.

I'm going to stay away from too many details found so often in
other postings.

Honestly, I really don't care if on Thursday morning at
breakfast NCL slightly

burned the toast of one of 1800 passengers, and supposedly ruined
their entire holiday. Will leave that kind of stuff for others to
elaborate on elsewhere.

As far as my takeaways and thoughts from this cruise;

About the Boat Itself

Feel that the Norwegian Sun is a good boat to cruise on. Not too
big but with all the typical amenities ( gym, pool, whirlpools, spa
etc.) that you need. We ate every dinner except one in either of
the two main dining rooms (Seven Seas or Four Seasons). In all
instances the food was tasty, well prepared and presented with
exemplary wait service. There was always a variety of appetizers
and main entrees to choose from that were appealing. One night we
ate in the Pacific Heights restaurant for dinner (no surcharge) it
also was fine. We usually ate breakfast and often lunch in the
outdoor dining space on deck 11 on the aft of the ship that was
called the Great Outdoor Café. In the morning there were two omelet
stations, eggs and breakfast meats and all the accoutrements,
fruit, cereal and pastries. The food was very good and this
particular space on the boat was just wonderful for sitting outside
(under cover from the sun) and to enjoy a meal. We went to every
evening show in the Stardust Theater, and although obviously not to
Broadway quality production levels, were usually (but not always)
entertaining. The three song/dance productions, by an outside firm
contracted by NCL called Jean Ann Ryan, were particularly good.
Young actors, singers and dancers who tried very hard to please
their audience. The comedians, however, were another story. Think
that NCL needs to take a look at who they book, comedy wise. Fair
to poor is being overly gratuitous. The passenger participation
shows in Dazzles (the night club) like Family Feud and Jeopardy
were also entertaining. We'd often stop and have a drink in one of
areas with live music, like Deck 12 Observation, occasionally
danced, again very nice. Not a gambler so no comments on the
Casino. During the two days at sea, like many others, sunned, read
a book and just relaxed. One remark that I did hear from our cruise
mates is that during these sea days, options for things to do on
board (to keep occupied) were somewhat "light." Again, we were
happy doing nothing but did want to share that comment that I did
hear more than once.

About the Ports of Call

Roatan: Must see island. Very undeveloped but you sensed it was on
the cusp of becoming a hot tourist destination. Using the internet,
identified Victor Bodden tours. For $100 for the entire day, we had
a car and private driver, who took us around. We went first to the
east end, visited an iguana farm and toured. Then we went to the
west end, to a private beach (Half Moon Bay), snorkeled, lounged
and had a great fish lunch. Highly recommend Victor as an option
for others to use when at Roatan. Our guide named Kem was terrific.
Belize: Again, independent of the boat, we booked a full day (7
hour) tour to Lamanai, the Mayan ruins. Used Extreme Excursions,
about $75 per person. This is fun. You took a van ride for an hour,
then get on an 8 to 10 passenger boat, and for an hour go up a
river to reach the ruins. Our guide was IC (Icodore was his formal
name). A little wacky but boy did he know the river and his Mayan
history, which greatly added to the experience. Going to the site,
we stopped numerous times along the river to get within inches of a
sunning crocodile. We also saw monkeys, birds, etc. At Lamanai
itself, we saw the well preserved remnants of a Mayan city believed
to be populated with 50,000 around 900 AD, with two great monuments
(100 steps each), ball courts and sacrificial altars. We did get a
little spooked however as we were walking back to the boat and IC
pointed out fresh leopard tracks on the path we were on. Cozumel:
We used a taxi to get to and return from the Paradise Beach Club, a
no entry fee (please buy drinks and food) beach area about 15
minutes from where we docked. It was fine, it was a beach. The
water was clear, clean and very quiet. It was a relaxing place to
chill out. Not much snorkeling action, but they did have water
equipment for both adults and children to use. We then walked
around in the city before re-boarding. Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's
Private Beach: And finally we went to Great Stirrup Cay. It was
also good. We had a nice barbecue for lunch, and again the water
was wonderful.

Hope this gives you a brief synopsis of our recent vacation.
Again, would not hesitate to recommend either the Norwegian Sun or
this itinerary to others.